by Valia Lind
As if pulled towards him, I turn to look at Mason. His eyes are already on me and they look more focused then before. I can almost feel the magic returning into his body, and soon he'll be able to shift. But for now, I take let my hands roam over his fur, giving both of us this safe reprieve. I know what tomorrow will bring. We have to figure out my powers and we have to figure them out now. Time is no longer on our side.
If we're going to save this town, which I want to do more than anything, I have to embrace my mermaid side. Whatever it takes.
11
Surprisingly, no one moves Mason and no one tells me to go. The girls leave with their significant others, saying they need to debrief Meredith. But with the way Harper looked at me, I think they were just giving me time with Mason. I'm not sure what's happening between the two of us, but I did find him in a forest. By pure magic.
Right now, he's sleeping, as I make myself a cup of tea. The little kitchenette is stocked with all of my favorites. But I guess I should expect that from a herbalist. Brianna has mixes I haven't even thought to try before, but they smell heavenly.
After the tea is ready, I walk back over to the couch, taking the seat on the coffee table, much like Harper did earlier. Holding the steaming mug in my hands, I study Mason as he sleeps. Even though he's still a wolf, I can see Mason in every breath he takes. There is something absolutely breathtaking about him in this form. He's talked so much about the way it feels, to be fully connected to the primal part of oneself. To see it displayed in front of me is another matter.
I don't think my powers will ever allow me a full shift. My mermaid genes are simply not that strong. But if the girls are to be believed, I pulled water from the hidden streams beneath the ground. Who knows how far down. That's some powerful magic right there.
A part of me really wants to be wrong. It wants to be able to shift. To be one with that side of me, one with the water. But I have to be realistic. I can't allow myself to hope. Just like I can't allow myself to hope when it comes to Mason.
I'd be lying to myself if I said I don't have any feelings for him. But I can't blame him for something that developed in me. Sure, he's done his best to watch over me and protect me, but I'm not some kid with fairytales on the brain. I know better than to trust my heart over my head.
Just being around him has made me a better person. All those hours we spent together at the library and training, he has shown me just how strong I really am. If I was to entertain giving my heart to someone, it would be him. Mark and Brianna have shown me how important it is to have two people who understand and better each other just by being together. So have Harper and Connor. Krista and Nolan. They don't shy away from their feelings, but they also don't make decisions for the other. They follow what's in their hearts after discussing it with their head. It's a balance and it's a beautiful thing.
So lost am I in my thoughts I don't even realize Mason has shifted back and is now lying in front of me completely naked.
"You often take advantage of helpless men?" His voice rumbles, snapping me out of my thoughts. That's when I realize what I'm looking at and my whole body goes fully rigid. I jerk, hot liquid splashing over the rim of the mug, burning my fingers.
"Ah!" I yelp, before I go to place the cup on the table and nearly dump it all over me. Mason's hands reach out to steady the mug, taking it from me before I can make a mess.
"Hey," he says, his voice low, and it forces me to look at him. In the moment where I was making a fool out of myself he sat up, pulling a blanket over his lap. "You going to be okay?"
At first, I'm not sure what he's asking, but then I realize he's talking about the burn. I glance down to where his hand is still holding my own and nod. Swallowing, I force myself to sound normal.
"How are you feeling?" He doesn't miss my attempt to divert attention, if his small smile is any indication
"Much better," he replies anyway, rubbing his thumb over my skin. "Thanks to you."
"I didn't do much."
"You came for me."
I glance up at that, at the seriousness in his tone. His eyes are full of emotion I'm too scared to name, but I can't look away.
"You risked everything to come for me and I cannot thank you enough."
"Thanks aren't necessary."
We continue our staring contest, a tug-a-war of wills and I'm not sure if there can ever be a winner. He's opened up pathways in me I kept locked up so tightly, I forgot they even existed. But he's right. I did risk everything for him, and I'd do it again. Even though I was ready a minute ago, I’m just not sure if I can say the words out loud now.
"Thanks are always necessary," Mason's voice has dropped a notch, sending goosebumps up and down my skin with the rumble. "And you deserve so much more than mere thanks."
"You would've done it for me," I try to shrug it off, but then I realize what I've said. He doesn't look away, or pull away and I swear the intensity in his gaze grows hotter.
"I would've done it for you," he says, his words piercing me straight to the heart. "You know..."
"It's what friends do for each other," I interrupt, finally tugging my hand away. I'm being the biggest coward and I can't even pretend I don't know what I'm doing. We both know I'm running.
"Don't you think we deserve to be honest with each other?" Mason surprises me by asking. I can't believe he called me out on it, but then, why shouldn't he? At least he's being honest with the situation.
"It's not exactly an easy concept for me," I say, deciding to trust him with at least this much information. He studies me carefully, as if weighing what I'm saying against what he's going to say.
"We can make a promise here and now to work on that. Both of us."
And that's when I realize we're more alike then not. He has plenty of his own walls built up. I don't know too much of his history, but it seems he needs to find that connection as much as I'm grasping for it. This thing between us, it's not anything we're prepared for, but it's sweeping us into it's path anyway.
"I promise to try," I find myself saying and get rewarded by one of Mason's blinding grins.
"And so do I," he says, before leaning down to peer straight into my eyes. "I think this is a beginning of a beautiful...something."
It would be stupid of me to pretend that those words don't fill me with hope.
When we’re finally recovered enough, two days later, the town has already been attacked three more times. The Elders are in fear of the other two sisters waking up, but by the way things are going, I'd be surprised if they haven't risen already.
Hawthorne has become a battlefield.
The tourists are all but gone from the town's limits. Most of the stores have been shut down. No one is going to work anymore. The place is on high alert at all times. The residents who have stayed, which are most of the supernaturals, have all been assigned a position. Whether it is potion making, or research, or battle magic practice, everyone has been given a task.
I've never seen so many species of supernaturals working so closely together. It's pretty inspiriting. Just not inspiring enough, apparently, for my powers to cooperate. I'm still operating at the minimum here.
This morning we went straight for the river. This time it's just Brianna and Krista acting as my companions. Harper went with Connor on some pack business. So naturally, Mason is our guide for the day.
We haven't really spoken since our moment in Brianna's shop after the attack. Maybe it's cowardly of me, but the intensity of my own feelings for him scare me. And I can't pretend otherwise.
It's getting cooler outside, but with him near, I don't feel the Autumn breeze. I just feel him.
When we reach the river, I don't waste a moment stripping down to my shorts and tank. The call has been stronger since I found the starfish, but I haven't been able to answer it. I haven't even been able to communicate with the creature again. I don't know what this disconnect is or how to fix it and we're out of time. I already decided I will put my all into this exercis
e today, but I'm starting to think that my all is not enough.
"It's not working," I snap, mostly at myself. I can't feel past the surface of the water, no matter how hard I push.
"Sky, you need to--" But whatever Brianna was going to say is cut off. I turn around to see Mason reaching for his shirt and pulling it over his head.
"What are you doing?" I ask in alarm, when he continues the process, down to his boxers. His skin gleams in the early morning sun, his toned body one for the covers of magazines. I'm still gaping at him when he takes a step into the water.
"That's chillier than I thought," he says, flashing me a grin and snapping me out of my staring. There's no way he missed my complete lack of thought while I was studying every part of his body, but he doesn't call me on it. Not right now at least.
"Mason, get back to the bank. You don't know how the river will react to you."
This has been a fear from the beginning. The river is part of the Ancient's territory, and coming here has been a risk in more ways than one. We've been very careful in only allowing me to touch the water, since it seems to accept me at least on some level. But Mason isn't a water witch or a water shifter. The panic that rises inside of me threatens to take my breath away.
"Mason."
"That's okay, Sky," he says, looking me straight in the eye. "You'll protect me."
I stare at him as if he's lost his minds, as he wades in up to his waist, stopping two feet in front of me. The water dances around his body, but I don't feel anything threatening. Not yet.
"What are you doing?" I ask again, this time much more calmly.
"Helping you get out of your head."
He takes another tiny step toward me and I can't seem to look away. The water around me begins to bubble, as if asking him to move closer.
"You know how in training, you start with small movements," his voice is low, for my ears only, as he treads the water in front of him with his hands. I'm mesmerized for a second, before his words sink in, surprising me.
"What?"
"Think about it. When you first started boxing, where did you start?"
I'm not sure where he's going with this, but I decide to humor him. He did brave the cold water for me. I think back to my lessons before replying.
"I learned the basic boxing stance."
"Okay, so let's go with that."
"I don't understand," I say, shaking my head, as he moves closer. His hands reach out, taking my own and tugging me in front of him.
"When you're here, in the water, do you feel solid? Do you feel like you're ready to attack or defend?"
Right now I'm mostly focused on the way the water moves over our joined hands, but I force myself to think. Do I feel solid enough? I've always felt at home in water, but can I see myself planted in it, the way I would plant my feet and raise my arms in a boxing situation. The answer is no.
Mason sees it in my eyes before I even say the words. He squeezes my hands in encouragement, peering down at me.
"What will help you find your footing?"
Without looking away from him, I search for an answer. What would help me? At first, I don't know. But then I realize he already said it.
"To get out of my own head," I reply, receiving one of his blinding smiles in response. He doesn't comment, just continues to hold my hands in his and I find the way he moves his thumb against my skin comforting. Closing my eyes, I breathe in and breathe out, looking for that center.
"You know why you never see elephants hiding up in trees?" My eyes snap open, full of questions. "Because they're really good at it."
For a second I don't react. Then, I burst out laughing.
"That was terrible," I manage, when I've calmed down a bit.
"Do you know what does a pepper do when it's angry?"
"Mason, don't."
"It gets jalapeño face!"
I'm laughing again, this time, my whole body gets into it. I dip just a little, but when my foot slides out from under me, I don't stumble. The water rights me before I can right myself. I go rigid, focusing on that surge of power. It's like I keep forgetting how much shifter powers are by instinct. I have to trust myself and that's a difficult place to be.
Mason continues to hold my hands, but he doesn't speak again, clearly seeing I need a moment. I glance up at him, catching his eye, and then I pull away. There's no denying it now. With Mason, I'm opening up parts of myself I've held shut for so long. He's started an avalanche and it's up to me to come out on top.
"I know what to do," I say, before I turn and plunge myself under the water.
12
I don't expect my move to bring in any kind of major enlightenment. That would be too easy. But I'm letting my instincts guide me and right now, they're telling me I need to swim. I haven't tried that before. Maybe that's stupid on my part, but swimming hasn't really been a part of my life so I didn't think of it until now.
Last time I was underwater, I ended up with a starfish. I guess I'm about to find out what happens when I swim.
There's no though in my mind as I move farther and farther away from the bank and from Mason. I let the water surround me, move almost through me. I'm still underwater, and I know I need to come up for breath soon, but I don't want to. The lull of the quiet, the feel of the molecules against my skin, I think I can stay here forever.
The moment I think so my lungs begin to burn. It's not a slow burn either, but a fast and harsh pain that ripples through my body. I'm too far under the water to reach the surface on time. The agony bursts through me and I do the only thing I can. I scream.
Clawing my way to break the water, I try to get there before I begin to sink, but then I stop. The burning has seized, my lungs are fine and that's when I realize I'm one with the water. Glancing around, I notice how brighter the water seems and that's when I see my hands. My skin is glowing, this somewhat fluorescent blue, that seems to surround me. I'm not breathing in water, I am water. The thought comes into my head and I can't shake it off. It doesn't make sense to me, but I'm doing it. I stopped thinking and I let myself feel and here we are.
I've never given much thought to my mermaid side. It's been years since I've even acknowledge the fact that I'm not all witch. Sure, those within our coven never really let me forget. But I've long since stopped hoping for acceptance from them anyway. Mark was the only person who saw me as more than this mesh of magical creatures. And I've learned to accept who I am, with no reservations.
But now, I see that I've always held reservations. It's not until this exact moment, when I'm finally in tune with some of my shifter powers, that I understand how I held myself back. It has always been up to me to accept myself, before anyone else would do so. Despite of if anyone else was going to. No matter how tough I may be, my insides are just as mushy as anybody else's. Without even realizing, I've suppressed so much of who I am, in order to appear invisible. I didn't want to be laughed at or ridiculed. It's why I trained so hard. It's why I spent so much time by myself.
Yet, here I am. Completely surrendered to myself for the first time and more alive than ever.
The less I think about it, the more my body seems to know what to do. I twist this way and that way, completely giving myself over to the underwater wonderland. The glow hasn't left my skin, and water creatures are becoming entranced by it, moving closer and closer. I stop my dance, allowing a few fish near me, so close that I can reach out a hand and run it over their scales. They move even closer, as if they need to be beside me. I smile, feeling lighter than ever before.
One thing I haven't done yet, but I do now. I finally look down at my legs. A part of me expected the glow to be part of the shift. Seeing a mermaid tale where my legs are would've been the best feeling. But they're still just my legs and it amazes me that I'm disappointed by that. Maybe I'm growing in more ways than one. And that's something that no one can take away from me. Not ever again.
I think I can stay here forever, but the moment I think that, my mind goes back
to Mason.
Mason, who walked into the cold river for me.
Mason, who pushes me to trust myself like no one ever has.
Mason, who changed all of my notions about what and who shifters are.
Without even thinking too much of it, I turn back towards where I left him. I'm swimming much faster then before, pulled towards him with my very heart. I'm done running from things that makes me feel alive. Mason is on top of that list.
When I break the surface, Mason, Brianna, and Krista turn as one, rushing to the bank. The worry on their faces is immediately replaces with awe, as they freeze in their tracks.
"Skylar?" Mason is the one to speak up, but he makes my name sound like a question.
"I think I may have found some of my shifter powers," I grin up at them, as they continue staring down at me. "What?"
"You're glowing," Brianna whispers, her eyes on me. I glance down at myself, realizing that I haven't lost the shine of the underwater and grin up at them.
"I haven't shifted, but guess what? Apparently, I don't need to hold my breath underwater." I reach the bank and walk out of the water. My skin dims as the water begins running down my body, making a puddle at my feet. The cool breeze sends goosebumps over the exposed areas and I almost turn to go back into the water.
"Here," Mason steps forward, pulling a towel around my shoulders. Looking up, I meet his gaze and when he goes to move away, I grab his shirt. He freezes at the contact, as I bunch up more of the material in my hands, bringing him closer.
"Thank you," I whisper, my full focus on him. "You helped me see more clearly."
"I will always help you see more clearly."
